I think it is important to remember that it really isn't the label
liberal or conservative that determines whether a politicians votes for
or against ferrets.  Many of the staunchest supporters of SB 89 were
right wing, Christian conservatives ( Oller, Denham, Leslie and on the
other side liberal socialist like Alpert, Sher, Kuehl).
 
There have been conservatives against ferret legalization, former Gov.
Wilson for example and on the liberal side Willy Brown and Sen Burton.
 
Reading another poster write about the classical meanings of liberal and
conservative, political make up of the Eastern and Northern US I am
struck by how little the rest of the country knows about Californian
politics.  Large parts of California have abandoned absolutely the ideas
that our country was founded on, meritocracy or rugged individualism
(which is the idea that we all make our niche in life providing for our
families), capitalism, and laws.  California has so abandoned those
principles that it got it self into quite a pickle.  Arnold is the hope
we have that it'll change.  If I can't have ferrets legally for now,
okay, we need to get a hold on the spending both parities are doing in
Sacramento before we go broke.  A California liberal is less liberal in
the classical sense than say a New England liberal.  Mid West and New
England Republicans have always tended to be more federalist than say
those in the south and west.  They've had to be since they rely so
heavily on the government for their districts and states.  My home state
(Maine) for instances is the poorest state in the union pound for pound.
It relies heavily on Navy contracts and the military (similar to
Mississippi).
 
The governor vetoing SB89 will not hurt his chances at being re-elected
one bit.  Any one that thinks it will is delusional.  I don't like the
Governor but I like him more than the previous governor.  When the
primary comes around I will probably vote against him, in the general
election I'll vote for him.  This is not the time to make the Governor
our enemy.  We need to write him in a tone of reconciliation, let him
know you aren't happy with the veto but that you hope to be able to
persuade him differently net time around.
 
Okay civics 101 is now over.  The point of this whole post is that
Politicians and politics transcends party lines or labels.  You can't
blame either conservatives or liberals for SB89 failing, you can however
blame it on bureaucrats.
[Posted in FML issue 4655]